To travel you do not have to wait for the time you go on vacation. Even on a workweek, there is a time for a trip. To diversify your weekends and to get new impressions and emotions you can make a fantastic trip embracing our programme "short breaks".

Take your friends or family, choose up to three cities you want to visit and make a fabulous journey. In this weekend tour, you can stay for a one or two nights in the places you have chosen. You can be on excursions exploring and admiring the cities during the whole day and enjoy breathtaking views of the places recollecting bright moments of your trip at night. From dawn till night you will be able to see how the cities and everything around you change. Morning day will present the architecture and the landscape in sunlight glory while night will show transformed buildings and streets sinking in illumination.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to souvenirs from Russia? Of course, it is matryoshka, balalaika, vodka and caviar. Oh, and a hat with ear flaps as well! However, the ear flap hat is now in vogue, and has ceased to be such a rarity, vodka can be bought almost anywhere in the world.

Numerous souvenir shops are vying to sell magnets, mugs and T-shirts with slogans and thematic images (flag and coat of arms of Russia, funny sayings, bears, portraits of politicians and well-known writers), sailor's striped vests, as well as handicrafts. Khokhloma, Gzhel, enamel, birch amulets and Vologda lacework… the assortment is huge! But when you make purchases, don’t lower your guard.
Some unscrupulous sellers may try to sell you cheaper and substandard imitations. Of course, most of the shops have certificates for their goods and buy them directly from factories and workshops.
To help you not to get lost in all this colorful variety and tell how and where it is better to buy particular products, we have prepared separate articles for you on Russian folk crafts.

It makes sense to look for more valuable and rare souvenirs in antique shops.
Old coins, porcelain figurines of the Soviet era, icons, clocks, badges, decorations - one does not know where to look first!
But even here there are potential pitfalls. Apart from the fact that the seller may seriously inflate the price of what you want to buy, arguing that it is older or more valuable than it really is, there may be problems taking it out of the country.

As of today, it is prohibited to take any items of cultural value (books, figurines, icons, pictures, etc.), created prior to January 1, 1964 out of the country.

Important note: items of cultural value do not include cultural goods of serial and mass production, or modern souvenirs.

However, sometimes even an item of mass production manufactured over fifty years ago may attract the close attention of the customs service. If you want to protect yourself from unforeseen delays and undesired proceedings (the item is likely to stay with you, which, alas, cannot be said of your nerve cells), you can send the purchase to your own address by mail, after packing it carefully to avoid damage. Make sure that the package has a warning sign if the item is fragile.

Are you a little confused with all this information? Our team members are always ready to help you navigate all the rules, addresses, products and prices!

You will definitely find something to your liking and within your budget with all the variety of great Russian souvenirs!

New Year`s Eve 2017 - how to celebrate, what to wear, and what to cook

New Year’s Eve is the most anticipated holiday – it doesn’t just bring the holiday atmosphere, plenty of gifts, good company, and a plentiful festive table, but also, the most important thing for everyone, hope. One cannot look to the future without it, which means you should do your best to be successful in the coming year to make all your dreams come true.

What is the best way to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2017, and where should I do it?

The sign of the coming year is the Fiery Rooster. Its likes and dislikes will mostly determine the events that every one of us will inevitably have to face during the next 12 months. Thus, the best strategy for New Year’s Eve is a proper New Year’s Eve 2017 celebration, in order to make the guardian happy and favorably disposed towards all our undertakings. The Fiery Rooster favors long-standing family traditions. This is why celebrating New Year’s Eve 2017 at home among your family and loved ones is recommended.

A noisy (but not bacchanalian) gathering of friends and family will surely catch the fancy of the eccentric and emotional sign from the Chinese zodiac.

What to wear to celebrate the year of the Rooster

The best color scheme to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2017 is red and gold. Go easy on low-necked dresses and transparent fabrics. Such an image will not attract the oversensitive Rooster. A lady should wear a nice cocktail dress of red, yellow, or gold pastel tones, high-heeled shoes - which visually make her legs look longer and more beautiful – and accessories that match the primary color of the outfit. Gold (or similar) or pearl (including artificial) jewelry will be a great adornment.

Men can do without such formal attire on New Year's Eve. But if a gentleman arrives at a party arm in arm with his better half, he should dress to the occasion. Suits can greatly reduce the level of comfort at such a joyful celebration, but welcoming New Year 2017 wearing casual clothes or every-day apparel will look almost immoral in the eyes of the pedantic Fire Rooster.

How to decorate your house or New Year tree

The color scheme for your house decorations should correspond to the Fire Rooster’s favorite scheme. Similarly, you can decorate the house with green and blue, which along with red are traditional for the New Year’s Eve holidays.

The interior must be predominantly decorated with natural materials. It’s difficult to have too many lights, since it’s impossible to imagine New Year’s Eve without lights, colors, smiles, and everything else that comes with it.

The Fire Rooster, like many living things, will applaud the presence of an artificial tree, which does not detract from his love for natural materials. Use tinsel of golden and red shades - this will give the center of the upcoming celebrations, the Christmas tree, a luxurious and elegant look and it will beautifully accentuate the New Year’s Eve atmosphere. To combat the pretentious feeling in the room, you can decorate the interior with soft throw blankets, which are a good companion during cold winter days – they bring coziness and a feeling of festive celebration to your home. The best decoration for New Year’s Eve 2017 is ripe, red apples, matching the Fiery Rooster’s favorite color. You can use the Rooster figurine as a Christmas tree topper.

What to cook for the festive New Year’s Eve 2017 table, and what to use for a table setting

The New Year’s Eve 2017 table should be free of fowl, including poultry. Serving lamb, beef or pork is advisable. You should scratch fowl off the menu, including ducks, turkey, and quails. Using eggs as decoration at the New Year's table is not advisable. Table layout should also take into account the tastes of the sign of the year 2017. Use a monochromatic light colored cloth that will not attract attention. The dishes, on the other hand, can be bright, preferably made of natural materials. Synthetics and plastics should be avoided this year.